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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Quick, Homemade Pickles - So Delicious!

Who knew homemade pickles were SO easy?? I can't believe I haven't made these before now! The other day, I was watching Kelsey Nixon's show on the Cooking Channel. She started making homemade pickles and was describing how incredibly easy it is. She also said that once you've tasted a homemade pickle, you'll never want to buy the store-bought variety again...They just don't compare!

Boy, was she right! Brad and I made turkey burgers over the Labor Day weekend, so homemade pickles were the perfect way to use the kirby cucumbers that I had on-hand. I looked up Kelsey's RECIPE, but I didn't have all of the ingredients that she called for. After a little more searching, I found a recipe from Rachael Ray that had great reviews. It was easy, quick (only takes 15 minutes!), and I had everything I needed.

This recipe only takes a few minutes to put together, and it sure is delicious! These pickles are flavored with fresh garlic, mustard seeds, a bay leaf and dill. If you don't have fresh dill, you can easily substitute a little dried dill instead (that's what I had to do).

I did only have 2 cucumbers, so I halved the recipe. However, I did have to double the amount of brine so that all of the pickles would be covered. After reading the reviews, I realized that several other people also doubled the brine for this reason.

If you've never made pickles before, this is a wonderful recipe to start with. You may never buy store-bought pickles again!

Directions:

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.